Single mother works hard to provide for son with special needs

Dec. 2—JEFFERSONVILLE — A Jeffersonville mother is committed to making sure her young child receives the care he needs as he faces numerous health issues.

Tayonna Paige, 25, is the single mother of 2-year-old Kentrell, who has cerebral palsy, and she works hard as his caregiver to support him and provide him with a happy home.

"He has some medical issues going on with him, but he's a happy kid," Tayonna said.

Tayonna said that while pregnant she faced complications that caused her to undergo surgery and spend four and a half weeks in the hospital, and Kentrell was born at 36 weeks on Feb. 15. He spent more than two months in the neonatal intensive care unit.

"He has a feeding tube and all that stuff, so that's what kept him in there, but for the most part, he's growing and he's healthy," Tayonna said. "He just has a couple of situations going on."

At first, it was overwhelming adapting to life as a young single mom with a special needs kid, Tayonna said. But she quickly learned how to care for her son, including knowing what to do when his feeding tube comes out.

"It was hard, because I'm only 25, and I have a special needs kid, and when he had to come home from the NICU, my mind was like everywhere, like 'what I am I going to do,'" she said. "He has all these problems, but I never gave up."

A nurse visits Mondays and every other Tuesday to check on Kentrell. Tayonna's work in the home health field has helped her to serve as a caregiver for her son.

"I actually do home health for him when we don't have a nurse," she said. "At first we had a nurse come in Monday through Friday — that's when I had a job and I was going to my clients and stuff, but since he has 1,001 appointments and all sorts of stuff. ...it's just hard."

She hopes to eventually attend college to become a medical assistant or nurse.

"I'm always full-time with Kentrell, so right now I just have to see," she said. "Hopefully in a year or a year-and-a-half, I'll be in school and going for a degree or some type of something to where I can just go out and work. I don't want to be living in an apartment forever. I want to be in a house with him."

It has become easier and easier for Tayonna as Kentrell gets older, she said. When he turns 3 in February, he will be able to attend Bridgepoint Elementary.

Her family has provided a strong support system, she said, and although she is the full-time caregiver for her son, they often give her a break when she needs one.

"My mom and my dad rock — and my auntie," she said. "They're a lot of help. And my little sister, she just turned 15 in November, and she knows — like Kentrell's on a schedule for his medicine — and she knows that he has to have this at 8 a.m. in the morning and this every eight hours three times a day, that kind of stuff."

Her experience caring for Kentrell has actually sparked her interest in going into nursing, she said.

"I've been motivated to want to start nursing, because at first it was only skilled nursing that could come in to watch him while I went to work or whatever the situation was, so you have to think that like half of the stuff that I'm doing with him is nursing stuff," she said.

Kentrell faces limited mobility, but as he gets older, her hope is for him "to know his strengths and what he can possibly do," Tayonna said.

"Right now, he's going through therapy. I'm always on the go," she said. "He has appointments with all these specialists, he has therapies, and he has all sorts of stuff we go through all the time."

Tayonna and Kentrell are part of the Wish Book program through New Hope Services to help them out with household needs and give them a break this holiday season.

The family is in need of household items such as a sectional with an ottoman, a microwave and televisions for their rooms, as well as clothing for Tayonna and Kentrell.

Tayonna also hopes for some financial help with her car payments and utilities. She would like to give her son toys for his home therapy and toys that light up, and as for herself, she would enjoy gifts such as pressure cooker and AirPods.

This Christmas, she is looking forward to enjoying time with family and celebrating the holiday with her son.

"We normally go to my parents' house on Christmas, and my dad's family comes and we celebrate — my mom cooks and we open gifts," she said. "We pitch in our names and everyone brings a gift [for a Secret Santa exchange]."

Kentrell has a fun personality, Tayonna said.

"When you're talking to him, he'll laugh and do all types of stuff," he said. "He has a stander that he likes to be in, and he likes Paw Patrol, so we'll turn on 'Paw Patrol,' or in the mornings I turn on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel."

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